Heaven Is A Place In The Caribbean
by Suzy-L
Summary: Nicola ran away from her safe, comfy home where she was due to be wed to the perfect husband. Perfect is too good for her, however, and she joins the crew of the Pearl. Is her heaven in the Caribbean? JackOC FINAL CHAPTER POSTED!
1. The Wedding Preparations

Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean, Jack Sparrow, Gibbs or the Black Pearl. *Sigh* But I do own Nicola, so don't steal her! She'll be very mad if you do!  
  
A/N: This fic is set about a year after PotC, and as I'm sure you've guessed, it's about a runaway girl who happens to meet Jack Sparrow, and their adventures ensue from there. Don't forget to r&r, I would really like to know what you think. Just don't be too mean, ok?  
  
Heaven is a Place in the Caribbean  
  
Chapter One-The wedding preparations  
  
"Nicola? You have to come out some time. Dinner is almost ready, perhaps we can discuss the wedding while we are eating, hmm?" Nicola stubbornly kept the door shut. She refused to marry that prancy boy whom her parents had chosen for her. Alexander Worthington was simply too perfect for her. She already had a perfect life, a perfect home, perfect hair and a perfect smile...at least, that's what all of the men she had been set up with had told her. The last thing she wanted was a perfect husband. So she refused to talk about the wedding and pretended it wasn't going to happen, which, if she had her way, it wouldn't.  
  
"Please come out, Nicola. You know, I do not approve of an arranged marriage either, but you know what your father is like. He cannot bear to have two daughters who are not married by twenty five years old."  
  
She was referring to Nicola's older sister, Juliette, who had ran away to Tortuga two years ago when she was forced to be engaged. Nicola had always envied her sister, who was prepared to go to extreme lengths to get what she wanted.  
  
"Nicola, listen." Her mother continued desperately, "If you are still unhappy with the situation in a couple of years, you can divorce him and say he threatened to sell you as a slave or something. Then, not only will you have your freedom again, but you will also have all the men after you wanting to comfort you. How does that sound?"  
  
Wow, Nicola thought, Mother sure knows how to plan a future.  
  
"No. I want to have my freedom now."  
  
Nicola's mother sighed. "Well, if you change your mind, I will be in the formal dining room. The Worthington's are coming to dine with us."  
  
"Great, stupid Alexander will be pestering me again with his complements and insisting he shows me the new piece of music he learned on the piano." Nicola sighed. "How can you show a person a new piece of music? I thought you had to use your ears..." 


	2. Escape From Hell

Disclaimer: No, I still don't own PotC, or Jack, or any of the characters or places associated with it. Although I found out Tortuga was actually a real place in the Caribbean, so maybe I'll buy it one day. :-)  
  
Heaven is a Place in the Caribbean  
  
Chapter Two-Escape from hell  
  
" So, Alexander, why don't you play some music for us? You always play so well!" Nicola's father suggested after dinner.  
  
Nicola felt like she was being tortured during the entire meal, and she knew she would not be allowed to leave for another two hours at least.  
  
"I would be delighted, sir! I greatly enjoy playing to such a supportive audience!" Alexander answered, a perfect grin on his perfect face.  
  
What did I do to deserve this? Nicola thought to herself. She was only just resisting the urge to scream.  
  
Alexander was now sitting at the grand piano and playing a fast, joyful piece of music. The sound made Nicola want to slam her head in the piano repeatedly.  
  
When he had finished, everyone clapped cheerfully except Nicola, who looked like she wanted to rip Alexander's head off his body. She stormed out of the room, and retreated to the peaceful haven of her bedroom. Before she knew what she was doing, she was packing her most treasured possessions into a small canvas bag. She picked up the letters from her sister, the drawings her grandfather had done of her and the rest of her family, the necklace she had been given on her thirteenth birthday.  
  
"This is it. I'm finally going to do what I want, for a change." She muttered as she crept into the library where her father hid their savings. Behind the encyclopedias was a large box containing the emergency money and her inheritance. Tempted though she was to take everything, she only took he inheritance, so technically she was only taking what was hers. Next, she ran downstairs, and made her way to the back door, making sure to avoid the dining room.  
  
As she closed the door behind her, she heard Alexander's father say, "Was your daughter alright, Charles? She seemed a little fiery earlier."  
  
Fiery? Ha! I was far more than fiery, Mr. Worthington...  
  
With those thoughts, she continued down the stone path towards the harbour, where she knew she could get a ride to Tortuga. If anyone could help her at this time, it was her sister Juliette.  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
Jack pulled his hat down to cover his face. The last thing he wanted to deal with was being recognised, whether it was by friend or foe.  
  
"Hey, Cap'n!"  
  
Jack almost jumped out of his skin, before realizing it was only Gibbs.  
  
"What?" He snapped.  
  
"When are we leaving, Cap'n?"  
  
"When the moon reaches its highest peak."  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
Nicole had run as best she could in her long, waist-restricting dress down to the harbour. She needed to leave the island tonight, and she didn't care what she had to do.  
  
There were around five or six large ships in the harbour, some of them being loaded with cargo, others simply floating silently, waiting to leave in the morning. The most noticeable one was very dark brown, almost black in colour, and had extremely raggedy sails. Nicole was surprised the ship was even seaworthy, but clearly the members of the crew were preparing to leave. She decided to take a chance and see if she could get a ride.  
  
"Excuse me, sir," She began politely, "Where might your ship be headed?"  
  
The man she was talking to looked at her puzzled, but also suspiciously. "What does it matter to you, young lady?" He answered, stroking his greyish- white beard.  
  
"Well, you see, I'm looking for a ride off of this rock," She casually fiddled with some money, making it obvious she was ready to pay, "And I was wondering if you would be willing to help. But if you're not going to tell me your destination than I suppose I shall have to request it of someone else..."  
  
"Wait!" He had seen a glitter of silver and gold, and like any pirate, he was now open to any suggestions. "The Captain's over there. Tell 'im Gibbs sent yer." He told her, pointing at the Tavern. Nicola nodded, and started towards the tavern. A queasy feeling overtook her for a moment; she had never been in a tavern before, and all she knew about them is that if a man entered sober he would leave drunk, and if he entered drunk he wouldn't leave at all. Or so her father said, anyway.  
  
Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the rotting, wooden door and entered the tavern. An overwhelming smell of beer, rum and other alcoholic drinks took over her senses, and for a moment she was dazed. Once she had got used to the smell, however, she was back to normal, and she hastily looked around to find the Captain of the ship. He was easy to spot. Wearing a tricorn hat and trying to look inconspicuous (which, ironically enough, made him look more so), it was clear he owned the ship and did not want anyone to realize.  
  
She confidently walked over. "Excuse me, sir."  
  
He looked up, startled. "Um, yes?"  
  
"Sir, are you by any chance the Captain of a ship out there?" she smiled politely, unnerving him even more.  
  
"Uh, yes, actually I am."  
  
"Well, I spoke to a man called Gibbs and he sent me to you and I was wondering..."  
  
"Stupid Gibbs, I told him I wanted to relax for a while..."  
  
"...If I could have a ride on your ship. I am of course willing to pay..."  
  
"When I get hold of him, I'll kill 'im!"  
  
"...And I will work if you need any help on deck, or even with the cooking..."  
  
"What's he up to anyway? He's supposed to be on the ship, not hanging around talking to women."  
  
"...All I need is a ride to Tortuga, savvy?"  
  
The last word made Jack listen at last. He hadn't heard anyone ever use his word other than him.  
  
"What did you just say, love?"  
  
"I said, all I need is a ride to Tortuga."  
  
"No, not that, the last word. Savvy. Where did you learn that?" Nicola blushed a little. "My uncle told me a story about a pirate captain who used to say it a lot, and I have been saying it ever since."  
  
"Really?" Jack realized this was no ordinary woman who was asking for a ride. She was the niece of someone whom he knew well...she could even be the niece of Will Turner! However, he decided not to ask for now and simply listen to her request.  
  
"A ride to Tortuga...well lucky for you, love, I just so happen to be going to that Godforsaken rock myself..."  
  
"How much are you charging?"  
  
A grin formed on the Captain's face. 


	3. Nicola tells her story

Disclaimer: If I owned PotC, do you really think I'd be writing this? No, I would be out in the Caribbean filming it with Johnny and some actress to play Nicola and I would be rich, rich I tell you! Um, yeah.  
  
A/N: Thank you for the one review I got! I feel so loved! ^_^ But please please review if you haven't before, it really brightens up my day. And when you live in England the day really needs to be brightened up.  
  
Chapter three-Nicola tells her story  
  
Nicola woke up after her first night aboard the Black Pearl, as she found out it was called. It was a beautiful ship, she had decided, despite its unusual looks. And its captain wasn't too bad looking either, once he had taken off that raggedy old hat. Nicola giggled as she remembered Jack's over-dramatic behaviour while they were discussing the fee for the ride. He had exaggerated everything he said, and she felt a little like he was talking to a five-year-old, but he had made her laugh...something that she hadn't done in a long time.  
  
The waves splashed against the side of the ship, reminding Nicola of the time she had gone to the beach when she was a child. She had never been allowed in the water back then. Her mother had insisted it was dangerous, that there were monsters in the water that would waste no time in obtaining a free meal. They had all ran away screaming when a crab scuttled on to the sand, snapping it's claws at them.  
  
"Excuse me? Miss...uh...what was your name again?"  
  
"Nicola." Nicola replied back to the pirate captain who had come to wake her up.  
  
"Miss Nicola, breakfast is served. You'll be dining with me, savvy?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
She opened her door and followed Jack down to his "quarters", as they were called. She noticed the decoration was very similar to the room in which she had stayed. It was dark and gloomy, yet elegant at the same time, with luxuries such as silk cushions and carefully embroidered curtains at the window. The table that she sat at was beautifully carved mahogany, with a very unique pattern to it. The crew had obviously done well for themselves as pirates.  
  
"Eat up." Jack said as he bit into his apple ravenously. It wasn't long before he had picked up another, and Nicola was amazed at his appetite.  
  
Well, he is a man...  
  
She chose a rosy red apple from the bowl and daintily nibbled at it, but soon she too was munching away like she hadn't eaten for a week.  
  
"Glad to see you have an appetite." Jack commented.  
  
"Mmm."  
  
"So...what makes a lovely young woman such as yourself want to go to Tortuga?"  
  
"It is a long and complicated story. I do not think you would like to hear it, it becomes very tiresome."  
  
Jack smiled. "I don't care how borin' it is, love, I need somethin' to keep me busy. Besides," He stopped chewing for a moment, "I curious as to know why you need to go to such an awful place. You've obviously had a rough time."  
  
Nicola was silent. Should she tell this, this stranger, what she had been going through over the last few months? It was obvious by the look on his face, however, that he wouldn't stop pestering her if she said no, so she agreed to tell him.  
  
"You sure you want to listen to all of this?" She asked, brushing her dark brown hair out of her face nervously.  
  
"'Course I do, love. I wouldn't have asked otherwise."  
  
Taking a deep breath, Nicola began to tell her story. "Well, here goes..."  
  
She explained about the marriage, about how her father was ashamed of her as she was constantly letting him down, about how she looked up to her sister, who wasn't afraid to say how she felt. About how lonely she had been feeling since her sister left. Jack listened patiently to Nicola's story and by the end of it he even seemed to be sympathetic. Nicola was grateful.  
  
"I was right, then. You have had an incredibly traumatic time recently, and now you are going to Tortuga to find your sister who you hope will help you." He said.  
  
"Actually, I do not hope she will help me, I know she will help me." She replied, insulted that he doubted her sister's reliability.  
  
Jack shook his head, causing his hair to fly all over the place, giving her quite a shock. "I wouldn't be so sure, love. As much as your sister loves you, Tortuga has a strange way of changing people. She may not be as willing to help you as you think."  
  
Nicola was about to have an outburst at the man's cruel honesty, when Gibbs burst into the room.  
  
"Cap'n, we've noticed the clouds are hintin' a storm comin' in a couple o' days. Should we carry on sailin' on the same course?"  
  
"What? Oh. Yes, carry on as we are. We should reach Tortuga before the storm reaches us."  
  
The captain and Gibbs walked out of the room, talking in their nautical language about currents and the direction of the wind. Nicola also left, but went up on deck to see the weather for herself. The wind was fairly strong and the clouds were bubbling in the sky. Gibbs was right; there was a storm coming. This was not a reassuring thought, especially as she had never been on a ship in a storm, and she was terrified of the experience. She walked over to the side of the ship and looked down at the water below. It was a deep, indigo blue, with a splash of green mixed in and dashes of gold where the sun was sparkling on it. Nicola decided it was the most beautiful thing she had seen. 


	4. An Echoing Mind

Disclaimer: Potc belongs to all those nice people at Disney and the other people who were involved in it. Not me.  
  
A/N: Sorry for this being such a short chapter! The next one is longer, I promise! I'll post it up A.S.A.P so you don't have to wait long, k? Oh, and thank you for the reviews!  
  
Chapter 4-An echoing mind  
  
They continued to sail for several uneventful days, but Nicola dined with the crew instead of Jack. Finally, they arrived at Tortuga. They didn't have to sail through a storm, much to Nicola's relief. However, all the spare time she had on her hands had given her the chance to think about Jack's words.  
  
"I wouldn't be so sure, love. As much as your sister loves you, Tortuga has a strange way of changing people. She may not be as willing to help you as you think."  
  
What if he was right? What if her sister didn't want to help?  
  
Do not be idiotic. Of course she will want to help you, you are her sister. She has to help you.  
  
She kept repeating this in her head to reassure herself, but his words continued to echo in her mind. It had been a long time since she had seen her sister...and Jack had a voice that stayed with you, no matter what it was he said.  
  
As Nicola got off the ship, Jack ran up to her. "Listen, ignore what I said before. Your sister will help you out."  
  
Nicola gave a loud "Ha!" before continuing to walk along the pier. "Why the sudden change of mind?"  
  
"Well, one o' me crew mates said that you had been depressed and when I said what I said before they told me that was probably why."  
  
"Excuse me? I'm English, talk to me in that language." She snapped.  
  
"Apparently what I said to you upset you, so I came to put it right."  
  
"Oh." She paused for a moment. "But if you still believe she will not help, then you are not helping me at all."  
  
They were both silent.  
  
"I should just go. It will not help just standing here wondering if she will help me, I have to see for myself. Thank you for the ride, Mr. Sparrow." "Your welcome, love." Jack answered automatically. "Wait, how do you know my last name...?"  
  
But Nicola had run off before he could ask. 


	5. The Family Reunion

A/N: I only just realized how many fics similar to this one are currently online, and I would just like to point out that I didn't know it was such a popular theme! Y'know, the whole girl-runs-away-meets-up-with-a-certain- pirate plot. HOWEVER I hope you like my fic better than the others (obviously) and that you will continue to read and review. The story gets better, I promise!!!  
  
Chapter Five-The Family Reunion  
  
It took a couple of minutes for Nicola's sister, Juliette, to answer her door. When she did, Nicola almost fell over with shock. Juliette was wearing a shabby dress, her hair was half up, half down, and her face was smeared with make-up. Quite different to when Nicola had last saw her sister.  
  
"Juliette! You look just like the other Tortuga girls!" she exclaimed.  
  
Juliette took a minute before she recognised her little sister. "Nicola? Is that you?"  
  
"Yes! I have come to discuss something important with you."  
  
"Does it have to be now?"  
  
Nicola paused with surprise. Her sister was telling her she was too busy! In the past, Juliette would have put anything and everything on hold for Nicola's problems.  
  
Oh no! What if Jack is right? What if she doesn't care anymore?  
  
"Well, yes, it does, Juliette. I sailed all the way here just to talk to you."  
  
Juliette sighed. "Fine. But I'm pinning the blame on you if I'm late for my shift at the bar."  
  
"You are a barmaid?"  
  
"Yes. I suppose you had better come in."  
  
She opened the door wider and let Nicola into her tiny, cluttered home. It was very dusty, so dusty that the old rugs on the wooden floor could barely be seen. Cobwebs hung low from the ceiling, there were holes in the wall and rubbish scattered all over the place. Horrified, Nicola followed her sister into the living room, though she was surprised it was actually suitable for living in.  
  
"Now, what is it you want?" Nicola explained her story again, and watched for Juliette's reaction. There was very little change of her expression, except when the words 'arranged marriage' were mentioned, which caused her to frown slightly. The situation caused her memories to come flooding back, but Nicola was not expecting her reaction.  
  
"Why should I care?"  
  
"I...I thought you would help me. You are my sister, that is what sisters do."  
  
"And when have you helped me? You didn't come here with me when I asked. You haven't been to see me before now. Looks to me that you only care about me when you need to care about me."  
  
"I...I..." Nicola had no idea what to say. Her sister was right; half-right, anyway. "I have always cared about you, Juliette. Every day since you left I missed having you around. The reason I did not come here is because I could not leave home. Do you know what would have happened if I had left back then? Mother and Father would have killed me, and I mean that literally. If you ever return, they will kill you. Please, Juliette, you have to understand. Mother and Father were so upset by you leaving, I could not just walk out on them at the time."  
  
"Hmph." Juliette would not listen. "I'm sorry, Nicola, but I can't help you at the moment. I have my own life to worry about, never mind your silly problems. Goodbye." She bustled Nicola out of the house and slammed the door. Nicola stood outside for a moment, shocked. She couldn't comprehend what had just happened.  
  
Jack was right.  
  
Holding back her tears, she went to the only place she felt she could go; back to the Black Pearl.  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
Jack finally returned to the Pearl at sunset, after spending the day at the tavern, like usual. He felt that the Tavern was the only place on land that made him feel as if he was on the sea. It was a home away from home for him, no matter which one he went to.  
  
He was surprised to see a very miserable-looking Nicola standing on the deck, watching the sun sink below the horizon. She seemed to be lost in thought. Jack assumed things hadn't gone well.  
  
"You alright, love? You don't look too happy. Did your sister..."  
  
"She told me it was not her problem and that I should sort it out by myself. You may as well say 'I told you so'."  
  
Jack sighed. He didn't really understand women, but one thing he knew for sure was that an upset lady was not a good thing.  
  
"Maybe she's so upset about how her life turned out she doesn't want to help you have a good one. I wouldn't take it personal, love. She's just afraid you will be ashamed of her." He said, only realising afterwards that it was the most intelligent thing he had told anyone all day, maybe even all week.  
  
"You think so?" Nicola looked at him, seeking sympathy.  
  
"Well, by the sound of it, your sister wouldn't do such a thing for no reason, and that's the only reason I can think of...so it is more than likely the answer, savvy?"  
  
"I'm afraid I do not understand, Mr Sparrow. " She answered.  
  
"It doesn't matter." Jack answered in return. "How do you know my last name? That's the second time you used it, yet I never told it to you."  
  
Nicola blushed. "Oh, I have been talking to the crew, and one of them referred to you as 'Captain Jack Sparrow' so I assumed that was your name."  
  
"Well, love, I won' be havin' any of this 'Mr Sparrow' stuff. It's Captain, Captain Jack or Captain Jack Sparrow." He smiled. "Never forget the Captain part, or I will never forgive you, even if you are a lady."  
  
"I do not expect to be treated any different from a man, though others clearly disagree. But I do not see how this matters, as I probably will not be sailing with you anymore. You have to do your pirate duty, and I...I have to sort out my life." Nicola sighed.  
  
"I don't see why you don't stay with us. You would make a fine pirate if you weren't wearin' that frock of yours." He pointed to the elegant pale yellow dress she had been wearing for her entire journey. It had started to get a little grubby, since she hadn't changed in so long, and the hem was starting to become loose.  
  
"What do you mean? I thought you were a person who treated women different from men." She asked.  
  
"I treat men and women different, yes. But a pirate is a pirate no matter what their appearance may be. I used to have a woman in my crew a little while back, Anamaria her name was. She was once of the most vicious pirates I ever met, yet one of the most loyal to her captain. She got her own ship, though, and so she had to leave. Come to think of it, we're meant to meet up in a couple o' weeks." Jack told her. "Anyway, how do you know this is a pirate ship? I thought our disguise as a merchant ship was doing well!"  
  
Nicola laughed. "I don't think anyone could possibly disguise the Black Pearl. It is the greatest ship in the Caribbean, so it cannot be hidden no matter what you try, Mr Sparrow."  
  
"You're right there, love."  
  
They were both silent for a moment, watching the last rays of the sun disappear behind the horizon.  
  
"It's Captain Jack Sparrow. Or at least Mr Captain Sparrow." 


	6. A Hard Days Work

Disclaimer: Yo Ho, Yo Ho, I don't own PotC! If you sue you'll only get a pen, a notebook and maybe a pair of socks if you're lucky. ;-)  
  
A/N: Once again, I thank you for the reviews! They make me so happy! Wanna know another thing that makes me happy? It's spring-time! ^___^ And another thing? The fluffy-ness begins in this chapter! Yay!  
  
Chapter Six-A Hard Days Work and Another Dinner with Jack  
  
The next day, Nicola awoke feeling a little better. The storm cloud which had been hovering above her had fizzled into a light, puffy cloud, the kind which rays of sunlight would suddenly burst through to give a heaven-like effect. Nicola's ray of sunlight happened to be Jack. She walked on to the deck to see him strolling around, deep in thought. The ship was tearing through the waves and rocking violently, yet Jack didn't even seem to notice, his balance never wavering. Nicola walked up to him.  
  
"Good morning...Captain."  
  
Jack looked up suddenly, surprised to see her in front of him. "Mornin'."  
  
"Um...what is my first duty on board the Pearl?" she asked.  
  
"Your first task is to change out of those clothes. Do you have anything less formal to wear?"  
  
She shook her head. "I only have what I am wearing in terms of clothing."  
  
Jack sighed. "Guess you'll be borrowin' my clothes, then."  
  
He led her to his quarters and took out some fairly clean garments from a drawer. They were a lot cleaner and better quality than his other clothes, Nicola noticed. She didn't complain, however, and went into her room to change.  
  
"Well, this is strange." She thought to herself as she gazed into the full- length mirror. Jack's baggy shirt and cropped trousers looked extremely peculiar on a girl who had never worn anything other than smart dresses. Then again, Jack's clothes would have looked peculiar on anyone other than Jack.  
  
When he saw Nicola in his clothes, he burst into laughter, showing all of his gold teeth.  
  
"It's not funny." Nicola said, scowling.  
  
"I'm sorry! You just look so...so...un-lady-like. " "Well, if I were you, Captain, which thankfully I am not, I would get used to the sight. I'll be dressed like this all the time I remain on the ship. What is my next task?"  
  
Jack thought about it. "I guess you could help the rest of the crew clean the ship. Just don't stay out in the sun too long."  
  
Nicola laughed in his face. "I thought you were going to treat me like he rest of the crew? I am certain you do not tell them to be careful in the sun!"  
  
"Sorry, love. I'm not used to treating a woman like that. You're not like Anamaria; you're still a respectable lady in my mind. I'll try not to do that again, alright?" He assured her.  
  
Nicola nodded. "Good. I shall get to work immediately."  
  
She spent hours scrubbing the deck with the rest of them, enjoying the hard work and getting a chance to talk to the crew some more. Sure, she was hot and she ended up pretty grimy, but it was nice to feel exhausted for once. When dinnertime came, she had a smile on her face.  
  
As she was going down to eat with the crew, she noticed Jack heading towards her again.  
  
"Nicola! You look happier than you were this morning."  
  
"I am. I enjoy working hard." She said, still smiling.  
  
"You know, that's kind of a shame, since I thought you would still be sad and I actually prepared you a special dinner."  
  
"Oh. Why did you do that? I am a member of the crew." She was surprised that Jack had actually done such a nice thing for her.  
  
"Yes, well, I, uh, thought it would cheer you up. I know women generally find it harder to get over a loss."  
  
He had done it again. He had referred to her as a woman. He had made her out to be someone different to the others. Nicola decided to ignore it this time. After all, a dinner was involved.  
  
"I am very grateful for your generous thought."  
  
Jack grinned. "So, you had better come with me then...unless you would rather have dry bread instead of meat?"  
  
"Of course not." She followed Jack down to the dining area where she had been that first day on the ship. That was ten days ago now. Ten days since she had left. While she was tucking into the meal of chicken and potatoes, she thought about her family back in Anguilla. Were her parents worried? Were they afraid she had gone to Tortuga? Did they have people out looking for her? Her thoughts rushed around her brain. She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice the softly glowing candles in the centre of the table, or the flowers from Tortuga lying next to her plate. It wasn't until Jack started talking to her that she noticed anything about the room.  
  
"This dinner is supposed to cheer you up, but you're getting more and more sad each minute by the looks of yer. Are you alright?" He asked her.  
  
"Yes. Just thinking about my home, that is all." She continued eating silently.  
  
"Ah. Been a while now, innit? Since you were at home, that is."  
  
"Yes. I wonder how my family are feeling about me running off." She sighed.  
  
"Aww, cheer up, love. You should think more about yourself instead of other people who you might not ever see again. Then again," He didn't take his eyes of her as he spoke, "I'm a pirate, I wouldn't know much about other peoples feelings."  
  
Nicola didn't speak. How are you supposed to reply to something like that? She had nearly finished her food, anyway, so she assumed it didn't need an answer.  
  
They were both silent for a few minutes. Nicola went back to her thoughts, and Jack carried on watching her.  
  
"You what you need to cheer you up?" He finally said. "A hat! You just can't feel unhappy when you're wearin' a hat!"  
  
Nicola stared at him. Was he being serious? He always came out with the strangest things at the strangest times.  
  
"A hat?"  
  
"Yes, yes! A hat!" He picked up the tri-corn hat which had been sitting on the table. "Here."  
  
"But that's your hat."  
  
"I can do without it... for now. Might need it back tomorrow." He stood up, walked over to her and placed it on her head. It didn't cover all of her hair, leaving the stray locks to hang down and frame her face. Jack paused to look at her. He was speechless. "Uh, I, uh, I think it completes the look. You look beautiful!" He smiled at her, flashing the famous gold teeth yet again. Nicola smiled back. It was the first time she truly appreciated a complement from a man. And she had received a lot of complements in her twenty-four years of life.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
There was another silence. They didn't take their eyes off each other, didn't stop smiling. Then, they both realized what they were doing and things returned to normal. Nicola said goodnight and went to bed, Jack left to talk to a few members of the crew, and both of them were left to ponder their thoughts and feelings through the night. 


	7. The Storm Rages

Disclaimer: PotC does not belong to me, I haven't quite finished my plans to take over Disney. ;-)  
  
A/N: I-Love-Sirius - Your review made me smile! But when I went on johnnydeppzone.com it said the bandwidth had been used up, so I couldn't actually go on the site. ( Maybe next month?  
  
ILoveHobbits - London is cool. 'nuff said.  
  
Badassgothicgirl, elkalili, Charmed Angel - Thank you!  
  
And so the story continues... (I think this is a weird chapter, but anyhoo...)  
  
Chapter Seven-The Storm Rages  
  
Nicola worked hard the following day on the ship. So hard that she didn't speak to Jack all day, despite the fact he was on her mind for the entire day. Maybe it was the dinner last night. Maybe it was the hat. For some reason, his words wouldn't leave her...and neither would his grin. She didn't listen when the crew spoke to her, not even during dinner when everyone was talking to her at once about how well she had worked for a woman. The same thing happened the next day, and the day after that. In fact, it was a whole week before she spoke to him again, and it wasn't good news.  
  
"Nicola...I need to have a word with you." He beckoned her away from the rest of the crew, where she had been mending one of the ropes attached to the sails.  
  
"There's a storm coming up, and I don't think you're ready to handle the situation."  
  
"Excuse me? Are you saying I am weak?" She stared at him, insulted.  
  
"No! No, I'm just saying that maybe you don't have the same amount of experience as the rest of the crew and you could end up being a danger to them if you don't know what to do. "  
  
"Oh. Are you sure there's a storm? Maybe you have just read the signs wrong..."  
  
Jack wasn't sure whether to laugh or be outraged. "I've been sailing for over fifteen years. Do you really think there's even the slightest chance I could have read the signs wrong?"  
  
She didn't answer. It was obvious now that he couldn't be wrong. Still, the thought of travelling through a storm was pretty daunting. It reminded her of the last time they were being chased by a storm. This time, however, they were a lot further from shore, therefore a lot further from safety. Come to think of it, there was no where safe for her to go while she was onboard a pirate ship, but that wasn't the point. Nicola was terrified of dying in the ocean. It had been the way her brother had died when he was part of the Navy. She didn't want to be the second one to be lost to Davy Jones' Locker.  
  
"So...what do you wish for me to do when the storm begins?"  
  
"Take shelter in the your room. I warn you, though, it might get a bit shaky in there. I'll check on you if I get the chance, but if this storm is as violent as it looks like it's gonna be, I'll be out on deck helpin' the crew and steerin' the ship., savvy?"  
  
She nodded. "Do you know when the storm will be?"  
  
"Most likely in the early evening. If you need to talk to anyone I would advise you do it now." He said, fiddling with one of the rings on his fingers. Nicola soon learned this was his way of showing he was nervous without making it too obvious. They spent another moment just standing in silence, watching each other's reaction. It seemed to be becoming a habit of theirs.  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
When the storm finally came, Nicola was waiting. She had taken refuge in her room and was listening to the pitter-patter of raindrops on the window. Below, the waves were crashing against the side of the ship and the wind was becoming stronger every minute. The sky was so dark that there was very little light entering the room, despite it only being five o'clock at night. It was enough to make Nicola shiver a little and she secretly wished that Jack had been able to stay here with her to keep her company and keep her spirits up. Of course, he had his duty to his crew to keep the ship moving...and Nicola wasn't even sure if he would have stayed even if he could.  
  
She had noticed that he acted differently around her, though. When he was with the crew, he was loud, confident, over-dramatizing his every move. When he was with her by herself, he was quieter, more personal, and almost normal. She wondered if he was like that with everyone, or if it was just her. She secretly hoped it was the latter, although she didn't quite know why that was.  
  
The thunder growled angrily above. The lightning flashed though the sky. Nicola was shaking with fear now, and she wrapped herself in the sheets on her bed. She didn't stop shaking even then. So she did the only thing she could do when she was scared; she sang. She sang the song her uncle had taught her when telling the story of the famous pirate captain.  
  
"Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A pirates life for me, We pillage, we plunder, we ravage and loot, Drink up me hearties, yo ho! We Kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot, Drink up me hearties yo ho!  
  
Yo Ho Yo Ho, a pirates life for me, We're rascals, scoundrels, villians and knaves, Drink up me hearties yo ho! We're devils and black sheep, really bad eggs, Drink up me hearties yo ho!  
  
Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a pirates life for me..."  
  
She smiled at the memory of her uncle teaching her the song. There was even a dance she used to do to it, which always made him laugh. Her father hadn't approved at all. He was disgusted that she was singing about pirates. That was probably why her uncle had never been allowed to visit since.  
  
While she was singing, she had been facing the window, so she didn't notice when Jack opened the door and slowly walked up behind her.  
  
"Y'know, that's my favourite song."  
  
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh! Jack! Don't do that! You frightened the life out of me! As if I ain't frightened enough!" She exclaimed, forgetting to speak in her normal, formal tone in shock.  
  
"Sorry, sorry, I just wanted to see how you were. The men seem to have everything under control."  
  
"But obviously they haven't been able to keep dry," she commented, looking pointedly at Jack's wet hair and drenched shirt. "You should change, you might get pneumonia if you stay wet."  
  
"Pneumonie-what?"  
  
"Pneumonia. You could die from it." She explained. In a way, she had begun to regret her words; Jack wearing a wet shirt wasn't really that bad...  
  
Before Jack had the chance to answer her, the ship swung violently sideways, forcing him and Nicola to go flying into the wall and landing on each other.  
  
"Ow!" they both cried, wincing from the pain.  
  
"It's getting worse." Jack warned. "Looks like this storm is gonna be a big 'un!"  
  
The ship swung round again, but this time Jack was ready and he held onto a hook on the wall while keeping Nicola steady by wrapping his arm around her shoulders. She was clearly surprised by this action and a puzzled expression swept across her face. But soon she was being swept across the floor as the hook unattached itself from the wall. They both landed on the hard wooden boards with a groan; Nicola was quieter, however, as she had landed partially on Jack, creating a softer landing.  
  
"Sorry Jack!" she managed to blurt out before being swept to the other side of the room.  
  
This cycle continued to happen for at least another five minutes, but soon the water calmed down a little and they were able to stand once again... even if it was now painful to do so. Jack helped Nicola up on her feet, before turning to leave and return to his men. As their hands parted, she found herself not wanting to let go. That was when she first began to wonder if she liked Jack Sparrow a little too much... 


	8. The Ocean at Peace

Disclaimer: PotC belongs to Disney, and I can't think of anyway to put it other than that. So yeah.  
  
A/N: Sorry this is such a small chapter, but I have updated quite often, so I guess it isn't too bad. Just thought I'd put in something to move the plot along.  
  
Chapter Eight-The ocean at peace  
  
By morning, the storm had calmed down completely, and the sky was a beautiful shade of blue once more. Nicola awoke to find that the battering from the night before had left her with a large, painful bruise on her right arm. There was nothing she could do about it now, though, so she went up to deck like usual. The sight was shocking. Pieces of rope lay scattered everywhere. Weapons had snapped in two and several planks of wood had been removed from their resting-place and now lay all over the place.  
  
Jack was also surveying the damage. "This is gonna take a while to fix..." He turned to the other crew members. "Get to work! The sails are torn, the floor is ruined, and there are weapons all over the place. And someone sort out all the water that's made it onboard!"  
  
They all set to work, including Nicola. She noticed Jack had a black eye, which looked extraordinarily panda-like due to the eyeliner he was also wearing. Stifling a giggle, she started to mend the ropes again, which, unfortunately, happened to be the ones she had mended that same week.  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
Meanwhile, back at home...  
  
Nicola's father was down at the docks, trying desperately to trace his daughter's steps. He and her mother had left the situation for a fortnight, thinking that Nicola would return within that time. When she still hadn't returned, however, they decided to take desperate measures.  
  
When he returned from the docks that evening, he reported to his wife.  
  
"Rosalind, darling, you agreed we would do whatever we could to find our daughter, correct?"  
  
"Yes dear."  
  
"So you will not be too mad that I have hired a group of pirates to track her down and bring her home for a large reward?" Nicola's mother's face gradually turned redder and redder. It was only when she had turned every shade of red that she finally spoke.  
  
"You did what?!" 


	9. Intoxication

Disclaimer: Of course I own PotC! And Jack, and will and Elizabeth and all the other characters! Mwahahahaa! *A guy from Disney who looks strangely like Barbossa points a gun to my head* Okay,okay, I take it back!  
  
A/N: I actually like this chapter, although others may disagree. Not much else to say about it, other than R&R! Thanks!  
  
Chapter Nine-Intoxication  
  
"That's a bad bruise you've got. Is it painful?" Jack asked Nicola when he saw her at noon.  
  
"I was about to ask the same thing about that eye. You look like a panda bear with that eyeliner on as well! Although I have never seen a panda bear before, not up close." She replied.  
  
"Well, now you have! If that arm gets too painful, take a break from the work. I don't want you, or anyone else, straining themselves too much today. Everyone is tired and we have too much work to do without having to look after an injured sailor, savvy?" He waved his arms frantically, showing his stress.  
  
"Hmm." Was all Nicola answered. Her arm was extremely painful, but she didn't want to let on to Jack. He would carry on thinking she was weak and treating her like a guest aboard the ship, while all she wanted was to be part of the crew. Instead, she went to Gibbs for help.  
  
"Gibbs, do you know any ways of reducing pain in a bruised arm? I am in agony right now." She explained.  
  
"Sorry, ma'am, I haven't got a clue. You could try massagin' it with your hands, get the blood flowin', y'know?" he told her sympathetically.  
  
"I shall try it. Thank you, Gibbs." Not surprisingly, it didn't work, and she ended up trying to do all of her work with the opposite hand. It wasn't long before Jack noticed this and came strolling over in his usual, drunken walk.  
  
"You're lying." He said simply. "You are in massive amounts of pain but you don't want to admit it. One word: why?"  
  
"Because," she started, sighing wearily, "you are constantly treating me like I'm pathetic and weak and I don't want you to think of me like that."  
  
"Then how do you want me to think of you?"  
  
Nicola had many answers for that question, most of which happened to be inappropriate for that time, so she answered "I want you to think of me as being independent, strong, a good team member. A good pirate."  
  
"We haven't even started the pirate-ness yet, love, so I'm afraid I can't give you credit for that. But I don't think of you as being weak. I think of you as having different strengths to the others on this ship, that's all, and that's something to be proud of." No matter how negative a comment was, Jack could always twist it into being a positive thing. He was an optimist's dream, a pessimist's worst nightmare.  
  
"So, what are we gonna do about that arm? I think you should rest it for now, you could be causing more damage."  
  
Sighing, Nicola reluctantly agreed, and soon she was back by the side of the ship, looking out to the vast ocean surrounding her. It was so large that, ironically, it made her feel claustrophobic. She was annoyed that she couldn't work, but there was no point moaning about having time to spare. Sitting on the side of the ship, she watched as the others cleaned up the Pearl.  
  
With all the spare time she was given, she had plenty of time to think. Firstly she thought about Jack, then about her family, then about Jack, then about what she would be eating for dinner (dry bread and maybe some cheese, knowing what the food supply was like onboard the ship), then about Jack, and then some more about Jack. Before she knew what was happening, he was intoxicating her mind with that grin and that voice and...  
  
"Nicola, ma'am. I want to talk to you about St Vincent, we're nearly there." Gibbs called over to her, disturbing her thoughts at last.  
  
"Oh! Yes, yes, of course, Gibbs." She said quickly, hoping he hadn't noticed the faraway look on her face.  
  
When dinner time finally came, Nicola had only one thing on her mind-Jack- and she had no idea why. She mentally slapped herself when she sat down next to Gibbs, making sure she wouldn't drift off into thought while she was talking to him.  
  
"Hello, Gibbs. You wanted to talk to me about St Vincent?"  
  
"Aye, ma'am. Yer see, it's going to get violent when we attack the town, and I want to know if you're able to fight."  
  
"Fight?" Nicola blinked. She hadn't expected this. "I have had no reason to fight physically in my life, so I would have to say that no, I don't."  
  
"Ah. That could be a problem. You'll 'ave to stay onboard if that's the case. Being on watch isn't as bad as it sounds though."  
  
"Great. More time to think about...ahem, things." She replied, almost voicing what had been dominating her brain.  
  
"Think about what, exactly?"  
  
"Oh, you know...my family, home..." Our captain with those gorgeous eyes, she added mentally.  
  
Gibbs grinned. "You have somethin' else on yer mind that you don't want no one to know. I can tell."  
  
"Maybe I do. But is it not rude to enquire further?" Nicola said indignantly.  
  
"Well, beggin' yer pardon, but I was just wonderin' if yer needed to talk to somebody 'bout it. Must be hard not havin' another woman to speak to, after all." Gibbs shrugged.  
  
Nicola struggled to hide her smile. Gibbs did understand her, if only a little. His words won her over and she decided she could afford to open up a tiny bit.  
  
"I suppose I can talk to you. After all, it has nothing at all to do with anyone onboard this ship." She emphasized. "Where to begin...you see there's a man-"  
  
"Ah, I thought it was somethin' to do with a man!"  
  
"Yes, well, he lives back on land, of course, and I...I think he is extremely nice."  
  
Gibbs' grin widened. "So you love him?"  
  
"No! No, I don't love him. I just think he is very special, even though I don't know him very well. But back where I live, of course, I'm supposed to be getting married, so it would be hard to get to know this man without causing even more trouble back at home. Besides, I don't think he likes me the same way as I like him."  
  
"Hmm." Gibbs thought about it. "I think he probably does like you, Nicola. An' I think the wedding at home is just your excuse, because the reason you ran away was to escape getting married, right? So, seeing as you have no intention of marryin' you must be sayin' that to comfort yerself. Yer just tryin' to avoid the hard part of talkin' to him."  
  
She blinked in return. "How do you know that?"  
  
Gibbs laughed. "I was always helpin' me sister out of problems like these. It's second nature to me now."  
  
"So, what should I do about the problem?"  
  
"It ain't so much a problem as it is nerve-wracking. Talk to him. Maybe wait a little while, though. I heard he was on the rum earlier."  
  
Nicola nodded. Then she realized what Gibbs had just said. "Wait! I never said I...!"  
  
But somehow Gibbs had managed to disappear out of the room before she could finish. 


	10. Ambush in the Night

Disclaimer: I don't own PotC, never have done, and probably never will do. :-*( Blame Disney.  
  
A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've been spending way too much time outside this week! And yes, Jack is OOC, but that's because it is near impossible to get him in character in a JackOC. I mean, we don't see that side of him in the movie so technically we are allowed to make up that part of him, which is probably why so many people do these fics. Sorry if I sound like I'm having a rant, I only mean to explain why I wrote Jack like that. Keep on reviewing, I love getting them! ^__^  
  
Chapter Ten-Ambush in the Night  
  
It was Nicola's turn to sit in the crows' nest and keep watch. Normally, she would have been happy to do this job, although she wasn't fond of the dark. However, that night was the worst possible night; with nothing to distract her, her thoughts overtook her completely. When she looked up at the stars, she saw a constellation of Jack's face. When the wind blew past her ear, she heard his name swirl around her brain. And she still didn't know why she kept thinking about him. Or maybe she did, but she didn't want to believe it. Deep, deep down, Nicola knew that the last option came from her heart.  
  
In the meantime, she contented herself by watching the moon slowly arch through the sky. As it reached its peak, she heard someone climbing up the rigging, and she peered over the side of the crows' nest. The sight of Jack grinning up at her made her jump back in alarm and land painfully on her back.  
  
"Ow!" she cried, lifting herself up again. Jack climbed in and sat down next to her.  
  
"Thought I'd keep you company for a while. Haven't spoken to you properly since noon. How's that arm comin'?"  
  
Nicola blushed and thanked the gods that it was too dark for him to see. "It's a little better."  
  
"Good. You did well on those ropes earlier, y'know. Almost as good as new. Have you done it before you joined us?"  
  
"No." she said, "But my mother once showed me how to make cotton into thread, so I assumed it would be the same method."  
  
Their conversation turned silent as it always seemed to do whenever they talked to each other. The wind blew Jack's hair around, causing a jingling sound as the beads and coins knocked against each other. The sound was comforting to both of them. Even more comforting was when Jack snaked his arm around Nicola's shoulders and pulled her closer to him.  
  
The peace was soon broken by a large "Boom!" and then splintering wood. The Black Pearl was being attacked!  
  
"Bloody hell!" Jack yelled as he sprang to his feet. "They're blowin' up my ship!" He climbed back on deck and dived below to alert the crew, leaving a stunned Nicola to watch the cannonballs currently flying towards them.  
  
Chaos ensued from then onwards as cannons were loaded and fired, people ducked to dodge the attacks and everyone shouted at each other. Confusion rampaged across the ship, and all the while the enemy carried on approaching them. Soon the Pearl and the enemy ship were side by side, many of the crew members controlling pistols rather than cannons. A couple of particularly sinister-looking members of the enemy crew jumped across onto the Pearl, shouting "Where's the girl? Where's the bloody girl?" and pushing everyone to the floor. They soon spotted Nicola peering down at the fight below, and began to climb the rigging. At the top they grabbed her foot and tried to drag her down. She responded by screaming at the top of her voice, the most powerful weapon she possessed.  
  
"HELP! Help! Someone, please!"  
  
No one could hear her cries, and she was promptly carried down to the deck by the pirates. She was about to be taken aboard the other ship when she heard a voice cry out "Stop right there, mate!" and saw Jack holding a pistol and facing the two pirates. Unfortunately, they in return were also holding pistols in their empty hands. Jack and the pirates stood facing each other for a couple of minutes, neither of them moving a muscle. Nicola watched in horror, crying, "Jack, let them go! I'll be fine!" He didn't lower his pistol.  
  
This turned out to be a good thing, as the captain of the other pirate ship crossed over to the Black Pearl. The battle seemed to temporarily stop as everyone turned to watch the Captain. He strode over to Jack.  
  
"Surrender the girl." He ordered.  
  
Jack looked at his rival, and saw he looked the way a stereotype pirate should look; eye patch on one side, bandana over the hair, and a parrot on his shoulder. The parrot was glaring over at Cotton's macaw, which seemed to be intimidated by it's presence.  
  
"I will not under any circumstances surrender a member of crew." Jack replied, staring at the other captain in outrage.  
  
"Hah! Her, a member of the crew? She is nothing but a stowaway, a pathetic little girl who you've taken into your care! She is little more than a whore to you!"  
  
This caused both Jack and Nicola to yell in anger, and Jack moved his finger even closer to the trigger of his pistol, if such a thing was possible.  
  
"Oh, I wouldn't shoot me if I were you. You see, if you kill their captain," the enemy captain pointed to the rest of his crew, "they will not be happy men. And I have demanded that in the event of my death they are to blow up the five tons of explosives that are currently on my ship."  
  
No one said a word. The Captain continued.  
  
"If you want us to stop attacking you, however, there is only a small price to pay."  
  
"The girl." Jack growled.  
  
"Very good. If you let us take the girl back home, we will leave you in peace to sail to sunny St Vincent. Do we have an accord?"  
  
Jack turned to look at Nicola. She looked distressed.  
  
"Just let me go, I don't want to trouble you anymore." She whispered. Clearly she didn't want to leave, but she was prepared to surrender herself if it meant the other pirates didn't attack the Black Pearl.  
  
"I don't want to surrender a member of my crew."  
  
Nicola gave him a small, sad smile. He finally thought of her as a crew member. "Please, I'll be fine. I've hindered you enough."  
  
Jack saw the pain in her eyes as she spoke, and knew if he said anymore she wouldn't be able to cope. He gave a small nod, barely moving his head at all.  
  
"Take the girl."  
  
The Captain grinned. "Good, I'm glad we have an agreement. You would have been the first one to ignore Captain Lawrence's threats. Take her aboard!"  
  
Nicola obediently followed the pirates on to their ship. "Welcome to the Dark Siren." One of them muttered in her ear, causing her to shiver. She looked back at the Pearl. Gibbs looked horrified. Jack looked like he was struggling to hide his anger. Everyone else was still and silent as the Dark Siren turned in the water and began to sail into the murky darkness of the night. 


	11. The Sparrow's heart beats faster

Disclaimer: I only own my PotC dvd, my box of floppy disks (I dumped the pen and notebooks, I'm a faster typer!) and a pair of rainbow -coloured socks, so there's no reason to sue me, ok? :-)  
  
A/N: Thank you for all the positive feedback from last chapter! It didn't just make me smile, it made me grin and dance around in my rainbow-coloured socks which I got at Easter. Apparently chocolate eggs aren't suitable anymore! Keep reviewin'!  
  
Chapter Eleven-The Sparrow's Heart Beats Faster  
  
"We're going after her!" Jack commanded the crew when the Dark Siren had disappeared from sight. The entire crew had been silent while it sailed away, as if paying their respects to Nicola.  
  
"Jack, you are a daft man, but surely you are not that daft! We can't give her away and then go sailing after her again straight away! That's just too daft for my liking!" Gibbs exclaimed.  
  
Jack laughed. "We're not going to follow the ship. We're going back to Tortuga! That's where they're headed, that's where we'll go!"  
  
"Jack, we just sailed all the way from Tortuga and we're nearly at St Vincent! Surely we can just leave her, she's going back home, after all." Another person complained.  
  
"If you were the one on that ship," Jack began, "Would you rather I came after you or left you there with a gang of mangy pirates who are almost as bad as Barbossa's crew by the looks of them?"  
  
There was another silence.  
  
"Exactly. Therefore I say we try to rescue her from that ship. And I am Captain, therefore whatever I say, goes, savvy? What are you waiting for? Turn the ship around!" Jack ran over to the wheel whilst the crew set about maneuvering the sails. It was difficult work; the only light they had to see by was the light from the moon and stars. Jack looked up at the twinkling dots above in the night sky. Just an hour ago, he and Nicola had been looking up at them together, and now...now he was chasing after her, attempting to rescue her. It reminded of him of something he once said to Will Turner.  
  
If you intending to brave all hasten to her rescue and so win fair lady's heart, you'll have to do it alone, mate.  
  
He was far luckier; he didn't have to do it alone.  
  
~~~***~~~ Nicola knew from the start that the time spent with the pirates would not be particularly comfortable. This was confirmed when the Captain took her down to the brig and locked her in a grimy cell. She sat on the damp floor, leaning against the bars that encaged her, thinking over the recent events. It was clear that the pirates had been ordered to capture her by someone she knew and she suspected her parents were to blame. If that were the case, she would probably be home within the next fortnight, and be walking down the aisle in just fifteen days. The thought of standing next to Alexander Worthington while wearing a wedding dress made her feel physically sick.  
  
The crew mate who had carried her on to the Pearl stomped up to her cell and passed her some bread, before stomping right back out. Nicola was disgusted as she saw pieces of mould had built up on the bread, but she flicked them off, closed her eyes and ate it anyway. All the screaming had made her hungry.  
  
Afterwards, she laid down to get some sleep. It was well past midnight by now, and the last thing she wanted was to have more time to think.  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
The next morning on the Black Pearl, Gibbs arranged to talk to Jack in private. They went down to the galley, where no one would bother them for a while.  
  
"Jack, what the hell do you think you're doin'? Goin' after an enemy ship to retrieve just one crewmate? The old Jack would have never done such a thing. The old Jack would have said 'Stick to the code. Any man who falls behind gets left behind.' What happened to the old Jack?"  
  
Jack smiled. "Firstly, I gave up following the code when you came and helped me escape Port Royal. Secondly, the code wouldn't count because Nicola is, in fact, a woman, in case you haven't noticed. And thirdly, the old Jack was an ass. He only thought about himself and if someone was gonna die, he was fine with it as long as it wasn't him."  
  
Gibbs blinked. "But...but Jack, why have you suddenly changed?"  
  
Jack looked away, a tiny smile lingering on his face. "Let's just say a Sparrow takes flight when his heart beats faster."  
  
"Aye, I get what yer sayin'. Yer a lucky man, Jack. Just so happens a little bird told me that a certain someone likes you. A lot, if you get me meaning." Gibbs grinned as Jack's eyes lit up, and an expression he had never seen before appeared on the Captain's face. His features softened and he almost seemed to relax...something he rarely allowed to occur.  
  
"I don't know what you've been up to, Gibbs, but it what you say is a lie I'll give you one hell of a beatin', savvy? And if it's true...lets just say I've got some extra treasure I would consider sparing as a reward. " "Aye, sir. I wouldn't never lie to me own captain. Especially when there's treasure involved."  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
The Black Pearl sailed back without too much trouble during the journey. Occasionally there were extremely strong winds, or worse, no wind at all. But they found themselves making better progress than expected, and in just over a week they were close to Tortuga. So close, in fact, that they could see the island from the crows' nest. They could also see the Dark Siren just ahead of them, approaching the island slowly.  
  
"This is it, men! The battle will commence in just a few minutes!" Jack announced to the crew. None of them looked too happy about the news, but they tried not to show it. After all, if they were captured, they would want the rest of the crew to come rescue them, just as Jack pointed out before.  
  
"I want you all to fight as hard as you possibly can! These guys are tough; we found that out last time. But now we're prepared, and hopefully not as sleepy. The cannons are ready to be fired, the guns are loaded with powder and shot, and we are ready to fight. Some of us are even ready to fight to the death." He glanced over at Gibbs as he said spoke. "We will win. We must win. And if we don't then maybe we deserve to die. There will be no surrendering. There will be no white flag. There will only be victory...or death. Men, I bid you good luck. And I thank you for sailing under my colours, since I might not get another chance to do so." He finished solemnly. The crew cheered, encouraged by their captain's speech, though a little curious at his seriousness. He had never said a speech quite like it in all the time he had been a Captain. All the same, it had helped to focus them on the task at hand, and when they were focused, they were stronger than all the Godly beings in the universe.  
  
"Well, here goes...you either live in happiness or die in fighting for it" Jack murmured to himself as they slowly got closer and closer to the Dark Siren. 


	12. The Battle Begins

Disclaimer: PotC is not mine. And I don't even have my rainbow socks anymore, they went funny-coloured in the wash. :-(  
  
A/N: Ok, for those of you who haven't checked out my LiveJournal...Only two chapters left including this one! And I am going to do another review- thanking thing at the very very end of the fic cos I don't really want to put it here. So, don't worry, I have read them!  
  
Chapter Twelve-The Battle Begins  
  
"Cap'n, behind us! The Black Pearl is comin' up behind us!"  
  
Nicola sat up eagerly as she heard the news. A week and a half she had been waiting to hear those words, and now she finally did she felt as if she was on cloud nine.  
  
"The cannons are out and they've all got guns! They're goin' to ambush us, cap'n sir!"  
  
The pirates immediately broke into a panic and started to run all over the place, trying their best to prepare themselves for the upcoming attack.  
  
"Load yer cannons!" Captain Lawrence bellowed to the crew.  
  
"Come and get me, Jack." Nicola whispered to herself as she heard the first cannonball hit the ship.  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
"Fire!" Jack yelled to his crew, who were all now so nervous that they were shaking. The cannons let out a roaring "boom!" as they were fired, sending the murky black cannonballs flying toward the Dark Siren. Everyone cheered as they saw three of them hit the side of the ship. The cannons were reloaded and fired again. It was only after another two cannonballs hit that the Dark Siren finally started to retaliate to the attack. Their aim was poor, however, and only one cannonball made it to the Pearl. It didn't do any damage, it simply landed on deck and rolled across the floor, until Gibbs picked it up and placed it in his cannon.  
  
The Black Pearl continued to draw closer to the Dark Siren, and soon they were close enough to allow a person to swing from one ship to the other. Jack hastily did so, and, after checking no one had noticed him, made his way to the brig of the ship to find Nicola.  
  
He found her pacing round her small cell, looking worried. Her expression changed rapidly when she saw him.  
  
"Jack!" she cried as she ran to the bars of her cell. "I'm so glad you're here! I was waiting for you to come, and then the battle started and..."  
  
"Calm down, love!" he told her. "I have to get you out of here without 'em noticin'."  
  
He studied the hinges on the cell door carefully. He recognized them as being the same which had been on his cell door back in Port Royal.  
  
"These are half pin-barrel hinges...With the right leverage and a proper application of strength, the door will lift free..."  
  
He wedged a large piece of wood which had broken off part of the ship into a gap in the bars as Will had done, and quickly removed the door from its hinges.  
  
Nicola laughed happily. "How did you know how to do that??" She asked as she ran out of the cell, wrapping her arms around Jack's neck and embracing him.  
  
"An old friend. The same one who told you those stories all that time ago. I remember you telling me about him."  
  
"My uncle?"  
  
"Yep. Come on, let's get off this damn ship." He took her by the hand and pulled her on deck. They swung back to the Pearl, still remaining unnoticed by the enemy in the violent battle.  
  
"You were that pirate captain my Uncle told me about! The one who said 'savvy' all the time!" She gasped as she stood on the Pearl's deck. "You were the one who fought against Captain Barbossa? And the one who finally broke the curse of those skeleton pirates? And the one..."  
  
"Yes, yes, that was me. And it was bloody hard work, too. Though not nearly as hard as keepin' you safe." He said. "Get below deck, I don't want you getting hurt!"  
  
Nicola stood still. She felt hurt. She had been sitting in a cell for over a week, thinking mostly about Jack, and when she finally saw him again he hushed her and told her to hide away again. She threw Jack's hat, which she had been wearing ever since he gave it to her, onto the ground in anger.  
  
"No! I'm not being treated like another woman! I will fight, same as you!"  
  
Her outburst caused both of them to stand still, facing each other silently as they always seemed to end up doing. Unfortunately, this made them easy targets. Neither of them noticed the bullet came speeding towards them...  
  
AN: CLIFFHANGER! Yay! Who will get shot? Will they live? Will the Black Pearl win the battle or will it finally sink to the bottom of Davy Jones' Locker? Guess what? You have to read the next chapter to find out! 


	13. Overflowing Emotions

A/N: Sorry I took so long to update, my computer loves causing me havoc *rolls eyes* Anyway, the rest of the AN is after the chapter…which, in case you hadn't guessed, is the FINAL chapter! *sob* 

_Chapter 13-Overflowing Emotions_

The speeding bullet hit Nicola in her right arm. She screamed in pain, struggling to hold back the tears which formed in her eyes. The world suddenly seemed to move in slow motion, everything blurring as it moved. She blocked out all noise, apart from Jack's cry of "Nicola!" as he realized what had happened. He caught her in his arms as she wobbled on her feet. 

"Nicola?"

She held on to him with her uninjured hand, more scared than she had been during the entire journey. 

"Jack..." she whimpered as she allowed a few tears to fall. 

Jack was stunned, and for the first time in his life, he truly didn't know what to say. But he quickly pulled himself together and tried his best to comfort her.

"D-Don't worry, you'll be fine. Come on, I'll help you get below deck." 

But before he had a chance to move her, there was another shot fired from an enemy's gun. Jack too found a bullet embedded in his body, only his was in his back. He groaned almost silently, and, trying to ignore the pain, continued to pull Nicola towards safety. However, his strength wavered and he fell to his knees. 

"Jack!" Gibbs had seen Jack fall and he came running over, punching any attackers on the way. "Jack, are you alright?!"

"I-I'm fine," He stammered in reply, his normal confidence vanishing from his voice. Using a nearby plank of wood, he heaved himself back onto his feet and carried on walking. "Come on, Nicola."

She stood back up and followed him below deck. Neither of them noticed the violent battle still taking place around them.  

"Jack! Sit down! You're in agony!" She ordered him as soon as they were safely below the deck, forgetting her own state of health.

He obediently sat on one of the wooden stools. Nicola sat on the one opposite, resting her injured arm on the table in-between them. She saw her wound wasn't bleeding as bad as it had been, but the bullet was still embedded in her skin. 

"Here, I'll help you with that," Jack told her, reaching out for her arm and wincing in pain. 

"Jack, you should really be tended to first, that wound is near your spine…."

"Don't worry, love, I'll be fine. It's not the first time I've been shot." He inspected her arm. "The bullet isn't too deep." He managed to remove it without too much difficulty, relieving her of the cold, harsh metal which had been causing the pain.

"Ow, ow, ow…" she whimpered as it came out and looked away as he cleaned the open wound with some water that had been left on the side. When the pain had died down a little, she thanked him with a weak smile. 

"Turn round, I have to help you." She whispered. She knew the bullet wouldn't have done too much damage - the pirate had very bad aim - but she was feeling faint after the ordeal and was struggling not to let her mind drift to unconciousness.

"No, love, I'll be-ow!-fine. Don't worry about me." He insisted, edging away as best he could without causing more damage.

Nicola tried desperately not to laugh. Jack was a typical man; always avoiding help because their 'pride' would be dented. She knew she would have to take extreme measures. In other words, tug on his heartstrings until he willingly surrendered.

"Jack, if I don't help you now you could die. I really don't want that to happen to you…you're too good a man to die yet! Turn around, please? Not just for me…for the crew…for the Black Pearl!" she pleaded, finding her own heartstrings being tugged at her words. She hoped they would have the same painful effect on Jack.

He sighed. "Fine, if you must. Not that I'm happy about it, savvy?" Slowly, he turned around and allowed her to lift up the back of his shirt. The sight which greeted her made her gasp in shock. As well as the open bullet wound, there were several scars down his back where he had clearly been shot, cut and bruised in the past. It took a moment for her to respond.

"Well, I guess your back isn't as hairy as you made out in the story." She said, giggling nervously, not knowing how else to react.

"Big shock, eh?" he grinned.

Nicola proceeded with her task. She examined the wound carefully, looking for signs of dirt or debris which might need to be removed. She only found the bullet, which she carefully removed using her hands. Jack's yells almost lifted the ceiling as she finally managed to take it out of his back.

"Bloody hell, love, that hurt!" He moaned as she tried to stop the bleeding with a piece of ragged cloth. She ignored the blood flowing from her own wound, Jack being the most important thing on her mind at the time… as he had been since she joined his crew. She paused for a moment, still holding the rag to his injury.

"Jack?"

"What?" He turned his head to face her, a grimace In place of his usual cheery grin.

"I…well, I, um, I think…" _Say it! _She screamed to herself inside her head.

"I, uh…I was wondering if you have any proper medical supplies. This wound really needs a proper bandage of some sort." _You daft woman! You were supposed to tell him how you felt!!! You'll never get married if you keep this up!_

"Sorry love, it's just old rags aboard this ship. There's some more in a drawer in my room, it you need 'em."

Nicola quickly set off towards his room and returned with the rags, cursing to herself at how she couldn't seem to say the one thing she really needed to say... 

Her anger must have shown on her face, as Jack seemed to back away slightly as he asked, "You alright, love?"

"I…I'm fine, my arm hurts, that's all." 

As she wrapped a long rag around the top of his torso, she sighed, longing to be able to keep her arms there, to embrace Jack and show her love, even if she had trouble saying it. But this wasn't the right time, even though she could have sworn she had seen Jack sport a tiny grin when she lifted his shirt up…  Instead, she hesitantly removed her arms and tied the ends of the rag together, stemming the flow of blood.

"Thanks, love. Here, I'll do your arm." He said, picking up a smaller rag and tying it around the open hole in her arm. She watched his face as he did so, taking note of how focused he was. He was a little nervous when he saw she had been watching him that closely, and let out a small laugh.

"A great couple we are, both getting shot by standing still in the midst of battle."

"I'm sorry."

"What for?" Jack asked, concerned.

"I shouldn't have argued. It's wrong to argue with the captain's orders, and now I know why. Because it can get you killed." She sighed, feeling tears well up in her eyes for the second time that day.

"Don't blame yourself, love. You just wanted to help us win. I don't blame you for goin' against my orders. I wasn't treating you like you were part of my crew. So it's actually my fault, savvy?" He took hold of her hand to comfort her, partly to comfort himself.

She looked up and her eyes met with Jack's, looking sympathetic, as they had done back when she was explaining her original problem. It seemed such a long time since then…she remembered how, later on that night, she had looked down at the sea and decided it was the most beautiful thing she had ever laid eyes on. Jack was starting to make her change her mind about that. So he wasn't formally dressed like Alexander Worthington. And he didn't have perfectly straight hair tied in a ponytail, like Alexander Worthington. And as for playing piano…she highly doubted Jack had even been interested in the slightest at playing music, not when he had the gentle sound of the ocean waves lapping against the side of the Pearl. He wasn't the 'perfect' man…and that was what she loved most about him. She finally understood the phase 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" which her grandmother had insisted on telling her when she was a child, and she saw it was completely true. Jack's lovable-rouge look was more beautiful than anything she had seen in her life. 

 She squeezed Jack's hand as he looked into her eyes. He almost seemed to be trying to see into her mind, with very little success. He sighed. Nicola never seemed to express exactly what was happening in her head. Gibbs' words had left him wondering; Did Nicola really like him that way? She didn't seem to mind when he had put his arm around her shoulders that night, unlike most women who would have gasped and slapped him round the face for daring to do such an intimate action. And even now, when he was holding onto her hand, she didn't pull away. If anything, she seemed to want to hold his hand. Maybe she just wants comfort; she just got shot for God's sake! Jack thought to himself. Why did women have to be such bloody enigmas?

Nicola blushed as he squeezed her hand in reply, grinning despite his pain. She had to look down to stop herself turning scarlet. The last thing she wanted was for Jack to know that she liked him. Yet at the same time, that was exactly what she wanted. Men are so bloody irritating, she moaned to herself.

"I had better get back on deck," Jack finally said reluctantly. "They're still fighting up there, and they need their captain, even if he is sufferin' from a bullet wound."

Just as he stood up shakily, however, Gibbs burst through the wooden door.

"We won Cap'n, we won!" He shouted joyfully, "We beat 'em all and took their ship!"

Gibbs' words were hardly needed; the crew was cheering loud enough to make the ship go flying to the moon!

Jack's grin increased ten times in size. "That's great news! We beat those thievin' dogs and we got their ship!" He was about to raise his arms in excitement but stopped when the agonizing pain in his back reminded him he had been shot in the battle. "Damn back." He moaned.

"The rest of the crew are waiting on deck for yer. In fact, the whole of Tortuga is waitin' for yer, everyone watched the battle from the shore. I guess Tortuga ain't as intrestin' as it used to be if people are interested in watchin' others kill each other."

"I''ll be up in a minute." He told Gibbs, who ran back up the steps to the deck happily.

Still grinning, he turned back to face Nicola. She almost melted in the presence of his grin, but, like usual, tried her best to hide it. Instead, she smiled back and took hold of both his hands. 

"We won." She said simply. 

"Aye, love, we did."

They both sighed. 

"Come on, I'm goin' above deck, you may as well come with me and share the victory. Don't worry if you fall, I'll pick you up again!" Jack said, still holding on to her hand even as they staggered up the steps back to the deck.

They were greeted by the sight of hundreds of people on the coast of Tortuga cheering the victory of the Black Pearl. The crew was excited by this new found attention, and while some of them, like Cotton, stayed still enjoying their victory honourably, others, like Gibbs, took bows and waved to the people on shore. Jack made his way to the side of the ship facing the island, happy to hear the cheers become even louder when the civilians saw him. 

"The legend of the Pearl and the infamous Captain Sparrow are still living..." He thought to himself.

Eventually though, the cheers began to die down, and the ship was prepared by the crew to make berth in the harbour. Nicola looked up at Jack again, who was clearly enjoying the attention he was receiving. 

_It's now or never, _she thought to herself as she strode up to him.

" Jack Sparrow."

Jack turned to face Nicola, his grin stretching wider than ever, teeth glinting in the sunlight.

This is it, Nicola thought to herself. This is the opportune moment.

She stared into his russet brown eyes, and he looked back at her confidently, his expression softening slightly. 

"I…Would you like some rum?" No! She had bottled out again! Why could she never-

But she never finished those thoughts, as Jack leaned down and kissed her there and then. The pain in her arm disappeared, the noise of the crowd was banished from her ears and she melted into Jack's strong, secure arms. 

"Argh, damn this back of mine!" He yelled as the pain overtook him again mid-kiss.

"Jack!" She yelled at him, trying not to scream that he had spoilt the most romantic moment of her life.

"Sorry, sorry, love! I didn' mean it! I…uh…did I mention I love you?" He asked as he pulled her closer into an even deeper kiss than before and they floated into a world of their own.

_So this is what heaven is like…_was the last thought in Nicola's head before she sank into perfect bliss.

End A/N: Aww! I think that is the best ending I have written to any of my stories so far…although I do know it leaves a lot of stuff unexplained. Maybe I'll get round to doing a sequel at some point, but it isn't too likely at the moment as I have all my exams this month (EEP!). Anyway, I know this is the last chapter but review anyway, I love to read them and they will help me improve for my next fic! 

Oh, and here's the promised thank you list to everyone who has reviewed so far. Sorry if I miss anyone out, I am really tired!

**Charmed ****Angel****: ** Your reviews made me smile so much that people think I had Botox gone wrong! Lol! Thank you!

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**JeanieBeanie33: **Heehee, I loved the amount of passion in your reviews! _'_Damn them! Damn them to hell!", "don't let those sucker bitches to take her! DON'T!"

Lol! Thank you!__

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**Twilight-la-fae: **I'm on your favourite author _and _your favourite stories list! W00t! ^__^ I'm very sorry for torturing you with my cliffhangers, but it would be a pretty boring story without them, right? Actually, I take that back, there's no such thng as a boring story if it's got Jack in it, right?

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**Clueless-Patty: **Liked the passion in your reviews too - "ARGH! HOW COULD YOU! STOP IT RIGHT THERE?!?!?!??!?!?"  Thank you!

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**ChaosLightning13: **Thank you for both praising and criticizing my work! Those kind of reviews are PERFECT! Also, I would be quite happy to buy Tortuga with you but currently I only own £2 (about $3?) so I don't think that's too likely, savvy?   

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**Kaitlin****: **You were passionate also! Lol! I really hope you haven't done anything too extreme to ease your suffering while you've been waiting this chapter…****

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**SparrowPhoenix**: You ain't that lame, not really! Don't put yourself down! Thank you!

And I think I will thank you all again just for fun…

**Thank you!!!**

I will try to get more fics on ff.net a.s.a.p! In the meantime, it would be good idea to check out my livejournal to keep updated (and read some of the weird stuff I post, if you have any questions, email me at Suzanne_Langton@hotmail.com 

(Shock! Everyone knows my real name! lol)

Bye for now! 

Suzy-L


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